by Lisa Oliver
“That trouble will be here sooner than you think,” Monty said drily. “Darwin’s brother, and your prospective employer just walked in the door.”
/~/~/~/~/
Lucifer might have walked into the restaurant quickly enough, but he was ready to march straight back out again when he saw the perfect features of the so-called anchor.
Young. I fucking knew it. Shit, this won’t work.
Technic will get away if I don’t get an anchor now.
The young pup will get in my way and just be a nuisance.
But… he could siphon my magical discharge at least.
Maybe Darwin could…
But no, Lucifer squashed that last thought soon enough because there, sitting smugly beside his brother like the cat who’d got the canary, was Monty fucking Duncan, all round do-gooder and waste of space and energy. Worse, Monty had alerted Darwin and the stranger to his presence. He’d look like a wimp if he walked out now.
Striding over to the table, Lucifer ignored Darwin’s curious glance, and Monty’s smug demeanor. Standing directly in front of the stranger he noted the raven’s assessing glare, but he addressed the stranger directly. “You’re the anchor looking for the job I assume. Do you have a passport?”
Pale gray eyes flicked up and down his body before the stranger focused on his raven instead. “Yes.” The voice was softer than it had been in the office, but it held a steel edge.
“Be at the private lounge of the airport in an hour. We’re leaving for Egypt. I have no idea how long we’ll be gone.” Message delivered, Lucifer turned to leave. But then he looked over his shoulder. “Get rid of the bird.”
“No.”
Lucifer steamed, literally. His hair was still damp from his last attempt at using magic. Turning, he clenched his fists. “I thought you wanted a job.”
“I did. I do.” The blond man wouldn’t even look at him. He was still fussing with the bird. “But Garrick’s presence is not negotiable. He comes with me or you go alone.”
“I can’t go alone. Do you know who I am?” Lucifer couldn’t believe what he was hearing. No one ever said no to him.
“Of course. You’re Lucifer Fireborn. Number one magic user in Greenford and surrounding counties. Best known for your work in catching criminals who use magic. You’ve been cited for your positive work in closing cases twenty-four times in the Magic Gazette in the last three months, along with your talented anchor of course. You have no known intimate relationships, although barely a week goes by when you’re not mentioned being seen on the arm of someone famous at important events, male and female. Equally, your name has also been linked to five ‘tell-all’ relationship dramas in the tabloids since January, which you’re famous for not responding to. You’re the eldest of four brothers and two sisters although after your parents moved to Florida to enjoy the sun, you chose to live alone. You have no pets. You make a mean guacamole when you feel like it, and you prefer jazz music when driving.”
The stranger smiled at Darwin and Monty, before picking up his bag. Straightening his hat and making sure his bird was comfortable on his shoulder, the man looked down his nose at Lucifer, which was quite a feat considering he was a good foot shorter than Lucifer’s six foot seven. “Perhaps a better question would be, do you know who I am? Excuse me.”
Lucifer could only stand there stunned as the man brushed past, looking, for all the world, like a jaunty homeless person, or a mechanical eccentric. It was the hat. It had to be. To Lucifer it looked like it belonged on a person forty years older. The man didn’t stop when he got to the door, but just waved his hand and walked through it. Seconds later he was gone from sight. Lucifer double blinked as he heard a slow clap.
“Brilliantly played, brother. Brilliantly played.” Darwin shook his head. “Could you answer his question? Do you know who you just let walk out that door? Only the best non-family anchor you could have ever found. Better yet, do you know the importance of the bird and why he refused to ‘get rid of it’, as you so succinctly put it?”
“I’ve got to get to the airport.” Lucifer sat heavily in the remaining spare chair. The smell of the finished meal reminded him it’d been hours since he’d last eaten. “I finally got a lead on a case I’ve been working on for three years. I have to get to Egypt. With an anchor.” His shoulders slumped; Lucifer tried to get his thoughts in order. “Who the hell is that guy?”
“You managed to alienate a legend among anchors,” Monty said calmly and yes, it really did annoy the crap out of Lucifer that his arm rested on Darwin’s shoulder like it belonged there. “That, my dear brother in law, was Stefan de Marco.” He waited, smirking, knowing that Lucifer would know the name.
“Stefan de Marco is looking for a job?” Lucifer looked back at the door, but the man was long gone. “Why? How? He has to be one of the most competent anchors anywhere.”
“It seems he has a similar problem to you, brother.” Darwin looked positively smug and if they hadn’t been in public, Lucifer would have slapped him. “People engage him for his talent, reputation, and his looks, and then they get nasty when he doesn’t return their attention, causing him to abruptly leave their employment. If you hadn’t have gotten so snotty at the office, I could’ve told you one of the specifics in his contract was a non-intimacy clause; one of the reasons I believed he’d be a perfect anchor for you. He has absolute boundaries between his work and private life and wouldn’t drool over you if you were holding a box of cupcakes.”
“Well. Shit.” Lucifer looked at the door again. If nothing else, it meant he didn’t have to face the cozy duo. “Give me his address. I’ll go and talk to him.”
“He won’t change his mind,” Darwin warned. “That bird you so rudely dismissed was the cherished familiar of Gaston Bridge. Stefan was chosen by him and it’s clear the bird is loyal.”
“It’s probably Gaston’s hat he’s wearing too,” Lucifer muttered, slowly rearranging his initial impression of the young magic user. Familiars were notoriously fickle, refusing to stay with anyone they didn’t deem worthy. To hold the loyalty of a familiar so old was a solid indicator of Stefan’s character. “Just give me the address. This case is urgent, I have to talk to him.”
“Then I suggest you start pounding the pavement, brother.” Darwin leaned into Monty’s embrace. “That young-looking magic user is homeless. You know, that thing that happens when landlords won’t accept unemployed magic users on their premises. Why do you think I offered him a meal?”
“You could have led with that.” Lucifer was out of his seat in a flash. With the clock ticking, he had less than thirty minutes to find the young mage, convince him he really wasn’t a total asshole and get him on the plane. Thank goodness, Lucifer excelled at the impossible.
Chapter Three
“It’s a damn shame our magic doesn’t work like it does in the fairy stories, aye, Garrick.” Stefan wandered slowly down the road. It wasn’t as though he had anywhere pressing to go. He was going to enjoy the sensation of a full belly for a while. “If it did, then I’d be carrying a coffee right now, and I’d have enough coin in my pocket to find us a roof for the night. Hmm. That’s what comes of having all those rules the council insist we live by – we cannot use our powers for personal gain. Still. No point in worrying about things we can’t change.”
He looked up at the clear sky. “At least we won’t get wet tonight. Now, where do you fancy roosting? Shall we set up a tent down by the river like last night or is there a secluded doorway you fancy? You know I don’t mind either way. Just don’t let me sleep in. I hate meeting people unprepared and that last security guard who found us was most rude.”
Garrick rustled his feathers and pecked at Stefan’s ear. Stefan smiled as the graceful bird took to the skies. He didn’t have anything to worry about – Garrick would be back. His keen eyesight would scout the best place for them to rest for the night and then he’d be back to guide Stefan to it. In the meantime, Stefan made his way along the quiet streets, refus
ing to let his mind dwell on the unusual day, at least while he was digesting the sumptuous dinner he’d enjoyed.
Greenford was a town of layers. The area where Stefan was walking was peaceful, most businesses closed as soon as night fell. Their prosperous owners preferred spending time in their expensive houses than worrying about squeezing in one more customer. Stefan had been surprised when he’d been given the address for the interview. Most magic users preferred to live and work in the area to the west of the main CBD. An area known for its wild night life, all-night eateries, and parties spilling out on the streets at dawn.
The CBD itself was a hive of industry and was where the central magic council had its offices. Stefan sighed, realizing he was going to have to make the walk down there again in the morning and see what else might be on the job board. He’d actually met Darwin at the job board the day before when the man was putting up his notice. One quick glance at his testing scores, and Darwin offered him an interview. It felt like a lifetime ago.
I met ‘the’ Lucifer Fireborn. If anyone was a legend in his own time, Lucifer was it. Stefan had followed his career since his days with Gaston, dreaming of a time when they might meet, and Lucifer would realize Stefan was the anchor for him. Of course, back in those days Stefan was young and perpetually horny, his dreams filled with dark eyed men with bulging muscles who swept through the world like they owned it. Lucifer used to be at the top of his dream team.
There had been a time, just after Gaston died, that Stefan had even thought of offering his services to Lucifer – confident his recent rise to fame would grant him an interview. But he knew through his avid reading about the man, that Lucifer only paired with family members and at the time Darwin was a solid fixture by the magic user’s side.
And then Jordan happened. Stefan quickened his steps. Years later, the memories of that one weekend made him shudder. Lucifer, and similar men, became ghostly concepts that visited his dreams rarely, serving as a warning of what happened to young anchors who let their guard down for a ruggedly handsome face. Yep… I’ve met him now and he offered me a position. I can cross that off my bucket list.
Switching his bag to his other arm, Stefan scanned the skies. It was unusual for Garrick to be away from him for so long. He’s probably hunting his own meal, he consoled himself, letting himself get diverted by the colorful display of magical amulets and charms in a nearby shop window.
/~/~/~/~/
On any other day, Lucifer could use magic to find Stefan. He’d seen him, gotten close to his essence, the man leaving a magical trace on the sleeve of his coat. But without an anchor, Lucifer using magic was like playing with matches over a box of fireworks – too dangerous in a public place. So he was stuck, pounding the pavement, just as Darwin suggested, wondering how one person could disappear when there was barely anyone around.
He glanced up as he heard a mocking cawing sound from the roof of the shop he was passing. “Did you want something?” Lucifer wasn’t surprised by the sighting – magical creatures and familiars often warned him off from their chosen charges when they sensed his power levels. But this one was more persistent than most, this being the third time he’d tried to get Lucifer’s attention.
Persistent. Lucifer’s eyes narrowed, folding his arms across his chest as he stopped and confronted the bird. What did Stefan call him? “Garrick?”
A flutter of wings and a tilt of the head was his reply.
“Okay, so we’ve established who you are.” Lucifer didn’t speak raven. “Are you warning me off?”
The raven stood up straighter and lifted his beak in the air.
Not that then. “Am I going the wrong way to find him?”
A loud caw sounded so much like “yes” Lucifer was stunned.
“Well, which way?” Lucifer tapped his watch. “I assume I’ve passed whatever test it is you apply to magic users and you’d be supportive of Stefan working with me, but I need to find him first. Fast. We’ve got a plane to catch.”
Garrick tilted his head to one side as if asking a question.
Lucifer huffed. Now even birds were doubting his authority. “Yes. I mean both of you. Forgive me, I didn’t realize you were Stefan’s permanent familiar.”
The bird preened, dipping his beak into his bright black chest feathers. Lucifer tapped his boot on the pavement. “I’m waiting.”
Just to make a point, Garrick rearranged a couple of other feathers, before hopping down and landing on Lucifer’s shoulder, pecking his ear and twisting it in the direction of where Lucifer had been.
“I guess that means turn around.” I will not wince.
Lucifer wasn’t someone who’d actively looked for a familiar. While many were known to contain powers of their own and could be used to enhance spell casting, as a wielder of the magical sword, Lucifer didn’t use many spells, preferring to rely on his instincts and innate power to get the results he needed.
Some familiars were known to have a malicious streak, and it seemed Garrick was one of them. By the time Lucifer finally saw the slender figure of Stefan in the distance, he was sure his ear lobe was bleeding. What was worse, Lucifer recognized the street they were on as being just a block over from where Garrick had found him. Damn bird took me on the scenic route.
It was as if Garrick knew the moment Lucifer had recognized the solitary window-shopping figure, because he flew off, his wing brushing against Lucifer’s eye as he went. Stefan’s smile when he saw his familiar was stunning, the man holding out his hand for Garrick to land on. He’s not even wearing gloves.
“I wondered where you’d gotten to.” Stefan was focused on his friend and didn’t even notice Lucifer approaching. “Did you find us somewhere to spend the night, or were you off chasing a meal?”
“I think he was looking for me.” Lucifer held up his hands as Stefan visibly flinched. “I didn’t mean to startle you. Your bird, Garrick, led me to you. I apologize for being rude about him.”
Stefan peered at him from under his hat brim briefly, then went back to petting his bird. “Apology accepted, but you really didn’t have to come after me just to say that. You mentioned something about needing to get to the airport, rather urgently… or at least I got that impression.”
“I’ve got a lead on a man I’ve been tracking for three years. He’s wanted in damn near every country in the world for his crimes. I have a plane ready, contacts on the ground when we get there, but I can’t go without an anchor. I was rude. I was wrong to make assumptions about you, but I need you to come with me, even if it’s just for this job.”
“Do you know the terms of my contract?”
Lucifer didn’t, but he could guess what Stefan was referring to. “Strictly professional, I promise. Anything else is details you can work out with my brother, but you have my word, you will be looked after for as long as you are in my employment.”
Stefan probably didn’t realize he’d hooked the corner of his bottom lip with his teeth. “I don’t have any funds.”
“You won’t need them. I’ll give you a phone when we’re on the plane with Darwin’s number programmed in it. If we get separated for any reason, he won’t let you down.” Lucifer managed a ghost of a smile. “My brother and his mate seem quite taken with you.”
The nod he got in return was brief. “Where did you say we were going again?” Stefan asked, stepping towards him.
“Egypt.”
“I’m glad I’ve got a hat then.” Lucifer’s entire body tingled as Stefan laid his bare hand on the sleeve of his coat. “Call your car, we don’t want to be late.”
Satan’s feather – his magic is off the charts. And that’s not the only thing he’s stirring in me. With a worried thought and a click of his fingers, Lucifer called his car.
Chapter Four
Cairo was noisy, and alive with smells and people. Stefan followed Lucifer through a small private terminal and out to where a large car was waiting. After the dour look he’d sported on the flight, Lucifer looked halfway pl
eased as he greeted a large beefy man who got out of the back of the car, favoring him with a hearty hug and a back slap.
“Brutus, it’s great to see you. Tell me the leads you have are fresh and worth following.”
“Lucifer, you don’t change do you, my old friend. Always thinking about work and nothing else. Not even a ‘hi and how are you doing’. You seriously need to learn our customs.” The handsome older face creased in a huge smile. “There’s been some changes for you though, I see. Is Darwin well?”
Stefan hung back, waiting to see how Lucifer would introduce him. When the man just waved lazily in his direction and said, “Darwin finally claimed that sop Monty, leaving me in the lurch. This is his replacement,” he was tempted to get back on the plane.
Time to show this man we have an equal relationship – he wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for me. That thought firmly in his head, Stefan stepped forward, holding out his hand. “I’m Stefan de Marco, level seven plus anchor, and you are?”
Brutus sidestepped Lucifer immediately, taking Stefan’s hand and turning it, brushing his lips across the back of it. “Very pleased to meet you. I’m Captain Brutus Gamal, part of the International Magic Council task force stationed here in Egypt, although like Lucifer, I travel all over. Our task force is in charge of tracking international criminals when they skip their home country. But enough about me. I am much more interested in you. Perhaps we can…”
“He’s under my protection.” Stefan found his hand dropped as Lucifer pushed his friend towards the car. “Keep your pants zipped and your lips to yourself. What’s the news about Technic? Is he far?” He seemed almost angry that Brutus was flirting with him which Stefan didn’t understand, but he appreciated the brusque support and the fact Lucifer seemed keen to get straight to work. After the lengthy silence on the plane, it was a relief to be doing something.
Settling in the far corner of the car, Stefan listened as Lucifer and Brutus discussed the case, while keeping an eye on the passing scenery. Rather than heading to the heart of the city, the car was moving at a steady pace through the crowded back roads, people moving out of the way perhaps because they noted the flags on the bonnet. Garrick chose to huddle under his arm, his head tucked firmly under his wing. Stefan had managed to sleep for a short while on the plane, when it was obvious Lucifer had no wish to talk to him. Garrick protected him then, and Stefan was happy to return the favor.
